It was a storm – both literal and figurative – in her pre-university days that set social worker and Workers’ Party cadre Frieda Chan on her path today.
At that time, fractious relatives were eager to get her grandmother, who was dying from cancer, to pick a faith. There were Catholics, Christians, among other faiths.
Frieda, 44, was not a Christian then and recalled being extremely irritated when people on the streets gave her Christian booklets.
“I didn’t understand why He had to be the way, the truth, the life. I hated the ‘the’ word,” she said, referencing a Bible verse, John 14:6.
“Whichever faith Grandma chose to believe, I figured one side would be wrong and so she only had a 50% chance of going to heaven,” she recounted with a chuckle.
PROVE IT
Meanwhile, in school, her morale was low as that was the year that the Ministry of Education announced that all Centralised Institutes, including the one she was studying at, would be closed down. Frieda, then president of her school’s student council, faced further embarrassment when she found out that her results were so bad that she had to repeat her third and final year of school.
Walking home from school in the rain one day along Bukit Batok Road, Frieda, in candour and despondency, started cursing and swearing at God.
Frieda (middle) as a child, with her aunt and cousins.
“God, if you are real, prove it to me,” she challenged Him.
Immediately, she heard the loud crackle of thunder and a burst of light as lightning lit up the sky above her.
Shaken, she changed her tone.
“God, if you are real, give me some time, I will complete my exams first and then take time to clarify and seek you with an open heart,” said Frieda. She wanted to be sure about who or what she was believing in instead of turning to God only when times were difficult but turning away when things improved.
“God, if you are real, prove it to me.”
Frieda often went to a nearby library to research on religion, so that she could refute the claims in the booklets that Christians handed out on the streets.
“I started out trying to prove that Jesus was a liar or someone sincerely deluded in believing that He is God,” said Frieda. “But the more I researched, the more I proved myself wrong. In the end I swallowed my pride and accepted that Jesus is Lord and Saviour.”
CHORES BEFORE CHURCH
Frieda became a Christian at 21 years old, after secretly attending church and small groups after her ‘A’ levels.
Her family was of a different religion and they started noticing that she was constantly reading a book that looked like a present, as its cover was hidden beneath wrapping paper.
Frieda and her husband, Melvin, got married in church.
It was a Bible and Frieda was afraid of her parents’ reaction if they came to know of it. Those fears were realised when they found out that she had become a Christian.
Knowing that her church service was at 10.15am on Sunday mornings, her mother would set requirements for her to sweep and mop the whole house and clean the windows before she could go out.
“It was meant to stop me from going to church but, somehow, God made time stop instead. I woke up at 6am to start cleaning and I didn’t rush it but there was always just enough time left for me to shower and then go to church,” said Frieda.
“YOU MUST HAVE DONE SOMETHING WRONG”
Upon graduation, Frieda joined a Christian organisation even though she had already received five job offers in social work during her third year in university.
As she rose to become a deputy director during her six years there, she always saw how God provided finances or manpower, experiences that would prove crucial when she hit a crisis that she did not see coming.
Frieda graduated in 2018 with a Master of Human Capital Management from the Singapore University of Social Sciences.
In 2006, her former university classmate asked if she was available to volunteer and help out with the duties of a principal election agent in the 2006 General Election as their current one had quit under stress.
After consulting three leaders from her workplace who felt that her volunteer work would have no bearing on her full-time work, she helped out with their campaign for a week at night.
“I asked God why I had to sacrifice so much even though I was just helping a friend.”
Shortly afterwards, however, the director from her organisation asked her to leave, citing concerns over how her volunteer work may adversely impact the organisation. She then found herself having to explain to her supporters why she was asked to leave, as her work was supported by donations from them.
As her departure was sudden, some people did not believe that she was asked to leave over her volunteer work and speculated that she must have done something wrong.
“It was a hurtful time because these were people I trusted, yet there was so much negativity. I asked God why I had to sacrifice so much even though I was just helping a friend and had done the necessary things in checking with the leadership before I did so,” said Frieda.
KEEPING DRY IN THE RAIN
God reassured her of His presence and protection, this time, through rain, or the lack of, again.
Frieda had met her friend, who had been supporting her work financially, to explain her situation. They were at Pickering Street and it was raining heavily. Despite Frieda urging her friend to step into a nearby shelter, her friend was too preoccupied with berating her to do so. They stood in the rain while her friend kept urging her to confess the sin that led to her dismissal.
“Values such as accountability and responsibility are in sync with God’s character,” said Frieda, who ran for elections in 2011 and 2015.
“She was so absorbed with scolding me that at first she did not notice that she was getting drenched in the rain but somehow I stayed dry. We were out in the open but somehow I was shielded from the rain,” said Frieda.
“After a short while, she noticed and commented how come she was wet but I was dry but she continued being busy with her scolding and later left in a cab.”
God, what was this all about? Frieda asked God shortly after.
“I realised that God had made a miracle meant to encourage me, though my friend couldn’t see it,” she said.
FAITH IN POLITICS
Eventually, Frieda joined The Workers’ Party in 2006 and ran for elections in 2011 and 2015, as she wanted to advocate for causes such as support for caregivers and single mums.
When asked how her faith informs her politics, she said she makes it a point to tackle issues constructively instead of attacking a person or his character.
Frieda (front right) with fellow WP members and volunteers.
“Values such as accountability and responsibility are in sync with God’s character and that is why I strive to present facts objectively when I advocate for issues that I stand for,” said Frieda, who is married to a property officer. They have a five-year-old son.
Whether it is through thunder or lightning, or keeping dry in the rain, Frieda has seen God’s faithfulness through the big and small moments of her life.
“I have learnt the lesson that God provides and faithfulness with little can yield much later.”
This is an excerpt of an article that first appeared in Salt&Light.
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